Month: July 2017

Superfoods that heal- doesn’t seem right does it? Of course it is. We are human beings and have managed to survive plagues pestilence wars and the like for thousands of years. We need food for energy, for strength and to resist illness. We now that herbs and libations on wounds on our exterior can help our body’s natural defences to combat infections and the like. Not just internally (like blood and breathing) either- certain foods can help our mental states.
Even in these days of transplants, artificial limbs and organs, pacemakers and insulin injections, what we eat can provide a welcome boost to our keeping and remaining healthy. Here are some simple easily-obtained foods that taste good and are also healthy and illness-resisting.
If you suffer from heartburn and food laying heavy on your stomach then add more vegetables to your diet and replace white rice and pasta with their whole-wheat counterparts. These all contain a lot of fibre and that means that they can be processed in your stomach (to get out the beneficial nutrients) more quickly and then pass on the rest to your lower colon. Because less time is spent by the food in your stomach that means less chance of acid build-up.
Tuna, halibut, salmon,sardines and turkey contains selenium. It’s a key chemical in building up your immune factor because selenium helps build up white blood cells—particularly those responsible for killing bacteria and viruses, and even the flu virus. Studies have shown that selenium deficiency can lad not only to more severe flu symptoms but it also enables mild flu viruses to mutate into more virulent strains that you’ll have to fight with stronger medicines which can harm you in the longer term and make your flu more resistant to them in later life. You need only one serving of halibut or sardines to gives you selenium in abundance and provide you with natural mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. Do you suffer from muscle pain? The omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and sardines can really help and get those stiff knees working again and help prevent the symptoms of tennis elbow. Research has also shown that it can allow patients with rheumatoid arthritis to have some respite from the aches and pains.
My son and I both suffer from what seems to be occasional hay-fever, itchy eyes and sneezing fits. We take anti-histamine when it gets bad, but have found that almonds, peanuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds help us. It’s because they are bursting with vitamin E. Make sure you have them in your salads this summer.
Finally a problem that can really cause you eye-watering pain and frustration: UTI; Urinary Tract Infections. Once you’ve got it we all know you need to flush your system with lots of water to help it pass, but is there anything we can do to prevent it?
Yes. You’ll often see a parsley sprig garnish on your plate when eating out. Eat it! It’s been shown to be a strong antibacterial force against the germs that cause urinary tract infections—even some of those that have demonstrated resistance to antibiotics. It can even prevent the unpleasant effects of UTI- if you start to feel the twinges and burn, then boil some water, steep a bunch of parsley in it for 10 minutes and then drink up and Repeat throughout the day or for as long as it takes the symptoms to subside.
Cranberry juice and blueberry juice is also good for UTI. They contain something called proanthocyanidins, which in studies were found to keep bacteria from attaching to bladder cells and causing infection. Now new research from Nathalie Tufenkji, PhDat McGill University has demonstrated another way cranberry can help. He has said:
“In lab studies, cranberry prevented the bacteria from producing a specific protein called flagellin, which is necessary for growing the tails that enable them to swim up the urinary tract and attach to cells.”
Consequently look out for cranberry and blueberry juice and any products that contain extracts of it and you should find you don’t have to cross your legs and grimace so often!

Summer is a time for light salads, smoothies, the occasional barbecue, and summer fruits. From scrumptious strawberries, beautiful blackberries, gorgeous gooseberries, ruby-red raspberries, plump peaches and super-nice nectarines, summer fruits are exceptionally exquisite. It seems that the sun is captured inside summer fruits- the quintessence of warmth, goodness, vitamin C and feeling good about yourself.
But you can ratchet up the ante by adding ice cream, mousse, frothy milkshake almost anything that has a slightly over the top Summer decadence ring to it. Some might call it summer dessert porn!
Here is a recipe to get your mouth watering and you busy in the kitchen! It may seem complicated to begin with and you may struggle the first time you attempt it if you are not a regular cook, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll come back to it again and again- it’s great to serve after a light lunch on the veranda, or as the sun sets on what was a hot August day. Can’t be beaten!
First up Peach Frangipane Galette (recipe taken from alexandracooks via Food52
The author, Alexandra Stafford says this is an all-time favourite recipe for her family. She classifies it as a “rustic shabby chic” recipe, which is a great expression! Superb if you have a peach tree and a supply of peaches. It will serve 6-8.
To make the keynote Galette Dough
2.5 cups All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
16tablespoons unsalted butter
ice water (about a 1/2 cup + 2 T.)
Method: Whisk flour, sugar and salt together. Cut the butter into the flour and using the back of a fork or a pastry cutter, incorporate butter into flour mixture until butter is in small pieces. Add ice water and continue to stir with fork until mixture comes together to form a mass. Add more ice water if necessary, but carefully at one tablespoon at a time. Gently form mass into a ball and divide into two equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
To Make the Frangipane and Tart
½ cup almond paste
¼ cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon rum
1 egg
1.5 pounds peaches, cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
vanilla ice cream for serving.
To make the frangipane: In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine almond paste, sugar and room-temperature butter. Beat until combined, then add rum and egg and beat until mostly smooth and only small lumps remain. Set aside.
To Assemble the tart: On a lightly floured work surface, roll one disk of dough out approximately into an 11-inch circle, using flour as needed to prevent sticking. Line a rimless cookie sheet (or upside-down jelly roll pan) with parchment paper. Transfer dough to parchment paper and chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Spoon the frangipane in centre of tart and spread toward the edges, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around.
Arrange the fruit in concentric circles over the frangipane. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Finish the tart by folding the exposed border over the tart on itself, crimping to make a folded-over border. Chill tart again in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Brush dough with butter and sprinkle sugar over entire tart.
Place in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden. Let cool for five minutes on tray then slide parchment paper and tart onto a cooling rack. Let cool another 20 minutes before slicing.
Finally, serve with vanilla ice cream. Wow!

Have you noticed that this year there is a whole bunch of colours being worn in just one outfit? It seems that some people have decided to throw out the fashion rule book on how many colours to wear and what colours should go with other colours. I say good! The other day I saw a girl freewheeling down the mall with bright blue jeans, a purple blouse, a mustard shawl, orange loafers… and red lipstick. More power to you girl!
It’s a trend that seems to extending from summer into autumn as more people experiment with their wardrobe to create a personal and exclusive ensemble. But I suggest that you should take a methodical approach to becoming a technicolour fashionista!
First up, go through your wardrobe and sort all the clothes according to colour. That’s all your clothes, shoes, slacks, blouses, coats, leggings… everything. Before you start matching up, there’s more to do. Have you got all the vibrant colours in your collection? You should have something in blood orange, yellow-green, and purple. No? Then go out and invest in an item of each in the “missing” colours.
Next up get some accessories: A statement wide belt, a robust clutch bag or purse, and then as many quality items of jewellery you can afford because these will be the way you can combine clothes with a look and add in in missing colours stitching together your ensemble. Use pendants, earrings, rings, chokers, and bracelets. The bigger and bolder the better. If you find statement accessory pieces, buy that too. Accessories are the finishing touches to any outfit, so you should definitely have versatile and stylish items to complement your wardrobe.
Next lay combinations of clothes and accessories out on the bed or dining table. Experiment with complementing styles. Try to avoid matching colours- no red on red here please!
However some combinations are timeless and shouldn’t be overlooked:
Do you have a red necklace? Try with either a white vest top and a navy cardigan. Both navy and white show up the red.
If you want to wear a load of bangles and bracelets on one arm then use neutral bracelets like beige, golden, silver and metallic.
I hesitate to suggest other colour combinations because the aim of this article is to get you to experiment and be bold.
But before I go, I would suggest that if you haven’t got any of the following items in your wardrobe, you might be restricted as to assembling a great ensemble:
Red or purple purse
Black or dark grey blazer
Black pumps
Dark blue or black jeans
White button-up shirt or blouse
Pearl earrings (imitation pearl if you like!)
A Diamond pendant
Red stilletos
Wide brown leather belt
These items do not have to be designer wear. Provided you are going to accessorise with some quality jewellery that will draw people’s attention away from your lack of a designer logo. And perhaps just before you go out with your new look, take a selfie and send it to a friend to ask them what they think!

It may seem the most simple of things; putting some glitter on your cuticles. But there are pitfalls and traps you should avoid. Here are some of the main mistakes you should avoid!
The basecoat. Yes. It is necessary! Manypeople think a basecoat is unnecessary or prefer to use one product for both the base and topcoat. No! You will gain two extra days of wear for your nail polish. Why? Your natural nail has oils in it that prevent nail polish from adhering too well. You need to seal out the oils first with a basecoat before you apply a colour. Perhaps instead use two topcoat layers? Again no. A topcoat as a basecoat doesn’t work because it’s thicker, it takes longer to dry, and it doesn’t have the properties that a basecoat does to properly lock out the oils in your natural nails.
The cuticles. Don’t cut them. They can get infected and when they grow back they are never as good as they were. Your hands need cuticles so leave them be!
The tools. By tools we meanclippers, files, buffers, and orange sticks or whatever else you use. You should wash them regularly in soap and water (and once a month in a solution of bleach and water) this will prevent contamination. And don’t keep them in a sealed bag, which just encourages germs to take hold.
Q-Tips. They seem so handy for cleaning up your mistakes. But resist the temptation. The fibre on a Q-Tip can get caught in your polish and disrupt your manicure. Better to use an old make-up brush for touch-ups. If you get a little paint on the skin around your nail, just dip a flat makeup brush into nail-polish remover and clean up the smudge immediately while the paint is still wet so it’s easier to remove.
No overpainting. Just as in “proper” painting of walls, skirting boards and the like you should avoid putting too much on. With a manicure you it’s the quickest way to get smudges tears bubbles and nicks in your handiwork since it takes so much longer for the paint to dry if you put loads on. It’s far better to use two or three thin coats.
Shaking your nail-polish bottle. Again, no. Why do you see so many people do it? It traps the air inside, which creates tiny air pockets in the polish when applying it on your nails. Similarly don’t whack the brush in and out of the bottle- again you’ll create irritating little bubbles that will plague you when brushing on.
Humidity? If you are going to paint your nails in a hot/humid area be extra careful because the humidity will stop the polish from drying properly. So either wait until the evening when it should be less humid, or paint a very thin coat.
Quick-dry nail polish. Best not to use these products. They dry quicker for sure but will also make your natural nails dry out faster. You shouldn’t use any product with acetone in it besides nail-polish remover, because it is likely to cause your nails to chip, peel, flake, and break.Not good!
Finally two quick no-no’s-those quick dry ultra violet lights? Avoid. Just as they can cause damage to the rest of your body they can age your hands as well. And we finish with an obvious one- avoid hot water- it will make your nail polish last for less time. Get someone else to do the dishes!

What do we mean by vintage? Well that probably depends on who you ask! A vintage car collector will give you a different definition from a vintage French wine producer! When it comes to clothes (although even here you will find disputes!) Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing while clothing from the 1920s to up to 20 years before the present day is considered vintage.
Having got the timeline sorted, does the clothing of the period identified actually have to be genuine original article (original vintage), or a reproduction (repro vintage)? Or even a new design which incorporates a recognisable element of vintage style (contemporary vintage?). Again, this is arguable.
For the genuine article, original vintage clothing, it has been worn, but not worn out! Some can be totally virginal- old warehouse stock (known as dead stock or old stock), and will be much more valuable than those that have been worn, especially if they have their original tags (why would they be cut off I hear you ask?).
So what is it about that vintage period, beginning in the 1920s that people, including young people want to go for? Part of it is that while grunge retro fashion involves clothes that kids would have seen, or perhaps even worn in the 1980s, no kids or their parents would have been around in the 1920s. Therefore that period of clothingis a little more mysterious, adventurous and desirable. Let us not forget that 1920s American society represents the good old days of prosperity and fun- the First World War was over, and prohibition was not yet in force. It was the time of the Black Bottom dance, gay abandon, cinema, and the Speakeasy club. Cars and fuel was cheap and music was memorable and inspiring. This was reflected in the 1920s clothes- brash, swinging, glittery and swishy (for the women that is).Women wore head wreaths, cloche hats and bobbed cuts instead of traditionally acceptable hairstyles.
Also let’s not forget to remember that women gained new rights and roles in society in the US at that time. They had new abilities to vote, work outside of the home and pursue life as more than just housewives. In short it was revolutionary. It was without doubt the birth of modern US society. Come down Coco Chanel, the queen of 1920s fashion, who could produce a cornucopia of inspirational lifestyle quotes and encouraging words to those who wanted to better themselves and take a slice of the new deal coming. She of course encouraged females to pursue freedoms. From choosing how they dressed to where they worked, serving as a living example of the success a go-getter attitude can bring. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud,” she said. Wow. That still resonates today doesn’t it? So why not keep this decade’s spirit of adventure and pathway to progress alive through fashion, whether the genuine new or second article, the repro or the new design paying a homage to that decade?
Why go vintage? Why not?!!

Massaging is considered as traditional method of healing. Not just healing, various massaging techniques with an aim to rejuvenate body as well as mind of the persons. This helps gaining better immunity power and mental positivity. You shall explore the true meaning of traditional Ayurvedic massage at massage centre in Egmore. Traditional process for massaging has been followed by veteran masseurs. Different pressing and rubbing techniques are used to soothe bone joints and muscles. Chronic pains, muscle aches, joint pains and spinal cord related diseases can be completely as well as partially healed with proper massaging sessions.
Most importantly, massaging has positive effects on the minds. You shall start feeling more motivated, energetic and highly rejuvenated after undergoing traditional Indian massaging at massage centre in Egmore. Relaxing ambiance has been created in such massaging centers to welcome the guests. You shall find the ambiance to be cozy, as well as peaceful. Fragrances of fresh Indian herbs and spices will add spurring happiness in your mind. So, make your life more enjoyable, gleeful and energized with traditional massaging at the best massaging centers in Chennai and Egmore. Different forms of massaging can be availed, including Ayurvedic foot massaging, relaxing full body massaging, spinal cord massaging, etc.

Not all people have the same needs. Each person has a unique taste and preference. Selecting a mattress depends on the height of a person and also the number of people that will be occupying it. Based on these factors there is the availability of customized mattress in the stores. Be it a retailer or an online store they take up orders and make customized mattresses. All ranges from single cot mattresses to queen sized beds are available in the market everywhere. Customization in any product gives a great feeling to the people. They believe it is made just for them unlike the other common products. This gives a different feel to the product or the object that they will use on a daily basis. The preference of the material with which the mattress is made is also varying widely among people. Some prefer their beds softer while others want it to be hard. There are people who have underlying pains that can be treated with the right bedding. Hence a mattress does not only serve the purpose of sleeping. Without the right mattress people might get back pains which can cause serious trouble later on as the time passes.

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